Four Strategies to Maintain Motivation While Working Out

Even the most committed fitness aficionados occasionally experience a loss of motivation. While it's common to experience ups and downs on your path to health and wellbeing, there are strategies to keep your motivation high. Finding an exercise partner, for instance, can really help you stay on schedule. Changing up your routine and establishing realistic goals are two other suggestions.

1. Make a plan.

Establishing goals is one of the best methods to maintain motivation. Your objectives must be time-bound, precise, and measurable. You'll feel accomplished and able to stay on course as a result. Make sure the objective you select piques your interest. You won't persevere long if it's not something you truly want to achieve. Stensby suggests making a list of all the benefits of achieving your goal and posting it somewhere you'll see it every day. This will provide you with a point of reference when your motivation wanes.

2. Make it an enjoyable task.

Exercise is vital, whether your goal is to tone up, reduce weight, or simply feel better. But when you have so much on your plate, it can be hard to find the drive to actually go for a run or hit the gym. Setting large result goals, such as dropping 20 pounds or obtaining six-pack abs, might be helpful, but if you find it difficult to stick with them, consider breaking them down into more manageable "process" objectives. For instance, resolve to work out for just ten minutes a day rather than telling yourself you have to work out for an hour.

3. Give to yourself

Giving yourself a reward will help you remain motivated while working out. However, the incentive needs to be directly related to the desired behavior. For instance, only watch television in the evening if you have finished your preferred kind of exercise for the day. Investing in new exercise gear, such as weighted jump ropes or resistance bands, is another way to treat oneself. Alternatively, you may get a massage or buy new gear for your training. Using a fitness app or website to track your activity and observe your development over time is another fantastic reward.

4. Locate a fitness partner.

There is a common concept behind all the titles "workout partner," "exercise buddy," "accountability partner," and "swolemate": someone who keeps you motivated to reach your fitness objectives. Knowing that your friend is waiting for you at the gym makes it less likely for you to push the snooze button or abandon your workout. Find a friend who shares your objectives and passions, and make sure your schedules are compatible. It could be a sign that this isn't the best fit if they frequently cancel or rearrange their gym meeting hours.